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Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann
, Postmedia News

VANCOUVER — If these are in fact the dog days of summer – at least the tail end of them -- then the tendency might be to say that the Vancouver Whitecaps are looking a little bit like a 14-year-old mongrel curled up on the rug with that droopy-eyed, just-let-me-rest-a-bit expression.

Playing Saturday without their goal-scoring leader, Camilo, who has a slight groin pull, the Caps suffered a rare defeat at home, dropping a 1-0 decision at B.C. Place to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

It was the fourth loss in the last six games overall for the Caps (10-9-6) and the third time they’ve been blanked in the last five games.

Still, for much of the game, they looked as lively as a 10-month-old puppy chasing his tail, sticks or tennis balls.

After going down 1-0 just three minutes in after a couple of glaring miscues, the Caps rallied to throw all kinds of pressure at the Los Angeles goal, particularly in the second half. But the highest scoring team at home in MLS was stymied by a goal post, a few off-target strikes and a moment of pure brilliance by Galaxy goal keeper Jaimie Penedo.

The Panamanian international, recently signed and making just his second start, made one of the saves of the season in the 82nd minute, getting off his belly and diving back across goal to get his right hand on a left-footed shot by Jordan Harvey from close range.

The Caps fullback, who has a surprising four goals on the season, had collected a rebound off the post from the foot of Kekuta Manneh and made a lunging stab at the ball towards an open goal. He was shocked to see Penedo make the save.

“I thought we got forward, we created a number of good chances, but it was just one of those nights,”

said Caps head coach Martin Rennie. “A goalkeeper makes an unbelievable save and there’s a number of incidents in the box that felt like could have gone our way and they didn’t and you end up on the wrong end of a 1-nil.”

The Caps vociferously complained a few times about non-calls from referee Armando Villareal on what they thought were hand balls in the box. Perhaps the Galaxy, who are starting to get hot (12-9-4) after a slow start, were just getting the kind of calls that two-time reigning MLS champions tend to get.

“It feels like that,” said Rennie.

The loss was just the second in 13 home games for the Caps, but it was costly in the ridiculously tight West. Vancouver, tied for fifth with FC Dallas when play began Saturday, could have moved into a tie for second with a win. Now, they’re sixth after Dallas earned a point in a 2-2 draw with San Jose, and could fall to seventh if Seattle beats Portland on Sunday.

The decision to start veteran centre back Andy O’Brien for the first time since June 8 backfired almost immediately as he got his signals crossed with partner Johnny Leveron in the third minute, leading to an early Los Angeles goal.

After Matt Watson turned the ball over a midfield with a casual back heel pass, the Galaxy quickly broke the other way. As a pass went to Robbie Keane, both O’Brien and Leveron converged on the Los Angeles striker. Leveron got a foot in, only to have the ball go directly to a wide-open Landon Donovan.

He moved forward into a gaping hole and blasted a shot high past helpless Caps’ goalkeeper David Ousted from 22 yards.

“Three of us were attracted to the ball,” said O’Brien when asked if there mis-communication between he and Leveron.

“But it was a super finish (by Donovan). To hit it so well with his left foot, it decided the game. We deserved more out of the game . . . but sometimes a bit of brilliances like that separates winning and losing.”

Vancouver did bounce back aggressively, with Russell Teibert sending a handful of good crosses into the box. On the Caps best chance, Darren Mattocks took a short ball from Teibert and found Kenny Miller on the six-yard line at the far post, but the ball bounced awkwardly, up and off the striker’s arm.

Gershon Koffie, Leveron and Nigel Reo-Coker all had long range shots go either wide or were stopped.

Reo-Coker, who is still looking for his first MLS goal, had another good chance from just inside the box in the second half, only to shoot wide.

With speedster Kekuta Manneh subbing on at halftime for Watson, the Caps continued to pressure the Los Angeles back line.

In the 53rd minute, after a terrific run down the right by Teibert, his cross, pulled back to the penalty spot, was muffed by Mattocks, but the ball went directly to Miller. His left-footed shot, with Penedo at his mercy, went well wide and the Scotsman buried his head in his hands in disbelief.

“For long spells of the game, it felt like we were in control,” said Miller. “The start of the game was disappointing . . . but the rest of the game, there was a lot of positives to take.

“It was one of those games where the ball just didn’t want to cross the line.”

And now for the first time in weeks, the Caps find themselves below a line, the one that separates the top five in the West and the playoff pretenders who are on the outside looking in.

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